George Waddell (1801-1868) farmed at Gain in New Monkland, and founded a dynasty who included several well-known people including John Waddell of Inch, whose company, John Waddell and Sons, was involved in building the Forth Bridge, Mersey Tunnel and Putney Bridge, and also developed plans for a Channel tunnel. I have loads of information about the descendants but at the moment it's his forebears I am interested in.
George's father was John Waddell (1762-1847) who farmed latterly in Muiravonside. He married Agnes Russell (1767-1857) and they had 13 children, most or all born in Bathgate. John, Agnes, and some of the family are buried in Whitburn kirkyard, and others are buried in Bathgate.
I think that this John Waddell was the son of Archibald Waddell and Janet Nisbet in Leadloch:
Archibald Waddle at Leadloch and Janet Nisbet his spouse had a son born on the 29th December 1762 and baptized on the 10th March 1763 named John being their 2d child.(1) the date of birth of their son John matches the age on this John's gravestone
(2) this John named his eldest son Archibald and his second daughter Janet; his second son and eldest daughter were named Robert and Elizabeth, which are the names of his wife's parents, and his third son was named John.
(3) he and his wife and sons are buried in Whitburn parish kirkyard although she and at least one son died in Muiravonside
(4) there is no baptism of a possible candidate in Muiravonside, and no baptisms of Waddells there for at least 30 years either side of his date of birth; and the 1841 census says he was not born in Stirlingshire
So far, so good. Now for the puzzle. Who was Archibald Waddell in Leadloch? His eldest son James was born in 1761, so he would have been born around 1730/1735-ish, but I have not found a baptism record. James was served heir to his father in 1784.
The earliest other Waddell described as in or of Leadloch is Alexander Waddell (1756-1806), son of James Waddell of Crofthead and Holehouseburn (1721-1789) and grandson of Alexander Waddell of Holehouseburn (1693-1770). The elder Alexander married Agnes Wilson and had one son, the James already referred to, and four daughters, at least one of whom died in infancy.
Could Archibald be another, unrecorded, child of Alexander Waddell and Agnes Wilson?
I have a copy of
Some scribbled notes about the Waddels and the Storrys by H A Forsyth JP FSA, and have been trying to unravel the Waddells of Holehouseburn for years. I am related to the Storrys of Badallan but not, as far as I know, to the Waddells of Holehouseburn.
There are related posts in a thread at
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=622716.0Any suggestions welcome.
